Receptacle for loose discarded materials



Jan. 8, 1946. c. MALLORY 2,392,604

RECEPT ACLE FOR LOOSE DISCARDED MATERIALS File'd March 4, 1944 I1V VEIVTOR,- CLYDE MALLORY,

' A TTORNE Y.

Patented Jan. 8, 1946 RECEPTACLE FOR LOOSE DISCAIEDED MATERIALS Clyde Mallory, Alhambra, Calif.

Application March 4, 1944, Serial No. 525,047

Claims:

This invention relates to a trash receiver; and Particularly to one adapted to receive light, loose and crumpled or fiufiy sheet material, which after placement in the receiver tends to expand to increased space requirements and spill from the container.

It is an object of this invention to provide a trash can, box, container or the like wherein a member is provided which is available to compress or pack the scrap material in the container, to prevent the material expanding so as to spill over the sides of the container, as well as to make it possible to get more of such material into the container.

Such a trash receiver is especially useful in connection with discarded paper towels. Paper towels are in general use, and as is well known are commonly in the form of rectangular pieces of absorbent paper, which are wrinkled and loosely crumpled as an incident to their use and are discarded in this condition. When so crumpled, each towel occupies many times the space which it would require if tightly crumpled or closely folded and compressed, and this condition is ag ravated by the tendency of such a towel, even if discarded in a tightly folded and crumpled condition, to expand and unfold so as to occupy a greatly increased amount of space. Thus, a container in order to hold a reasonable quantity of such discarded towels must be of quite large ize, and even if it is of relatively large size, it is not satisfactory since a comparatively few towels suffice to fill it, and the spr ngy, fluffy nature of the discarded towels and the tendency of the towels to unfold and require increased space, causes them to spill over the edge of the container. It is accordingly another object of this invention to provide a container having means for packing and crushing the contents to reduce its space requirements and thus counteract the tendency of the contents to overflow the container.

In discarding such towels after use, they are usually given a toss in the direction of the used towel receptacle as people ordinarily are too impatient to open a spring closed closure member on the receptacle such as is sometimes provided. Even when the receptacle is open people are reluctant to insert their hand into the container in discarding the towels, with the result that a comparatively small quantity of the light fluffy towels suflices to fill the receptacle to'overflowing, so that any additional towels which are discarded and thrown to the container fall from the container to the floor, resulting in an un sightly appearance and requiring additional labor to gather them up. Even the attendants whose duty it is to look after such receptacles find difiiculty in compressing such discarded material so that the normal capacity of the receptacle can be utilized to reasonable advantage, since a tool, implement or the like for pressing the material downward in the receptacle is generally not available. Thus, it is another object of this invention to provide such a receptacle which has a large opening, normally unrestricted for the reception of discarded towels, or the like, which has means for pressing the discarded material downwardly into the receptacle from the opening or mouth thereof.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a receiver for discarded material with a normally open cover-like member whichmay be movedto closed position and is optionally-additionally movable to pack and compress thediscarded material in the receiver. 4

It is still another object of this invention to provide a receiver for discarded material havin a normally open cover or pressure member which may be moved optionally to a position for confining and compressing such material, a continuation of such movement causing the member to compress the material further.

This invention possesses many other advantages and has other objects which may be made more easily apparent from a consideration of one embodiment of the invention. For this purpose there is shown a form in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the present specification. This form will now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense,- since the scope of the invention is best definedby the appended claims.

, In the drawing: 7

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a trash receiver incorporating the invention, and taken on line l-l of Figure 3 but-showing the cover member open;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken at right angles to Figure 1, as indicated by line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the receiver; and

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 1, taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3, but illustrating difierent, op-

I crating positions of the movable element's".

The trash receiver comprises a vertically disposed container or receptacle 5, which by way of example is shown as square in cross section with rounded corners as shown in Figure 3, and formed of sheet metal or other suitable material. The lower end of the container 5 is closed by a. bot-' tom member 6 secured to the container; the upper end 'I of the container is open, and the interior of the container is normally entirely free to receive the discarded material.

Means 8 are provided which include a pressure "member 9 which may be in the form of a cover on a member or block I2, and projecting .through the slots I3 in a side of the containerj; -The block I2 is guided for vertical movement asby" being formed of .a rectangular: crosssectionland confined in a'= guideway I l-having a corresponding cross section and defined bya guide member I 5 secured on one side of the-container 5. 'Theblock I 2 is supported in thejguideway: I4 by 'a'compression spring IE-which is'appropriately positioned in the guidewayby having 'its'upper-end accommodatediin'a recess "in .theblock I2,:-and' its lower end accommodated -inuai-similar recess I 8 formed in .a member *I fi-restingz: on the bottom: 6. Ihe spring I6 urges, 'the'biock I2 :upwardly; at all times. such upward-movement being limited by the ears 'I I engaging stops-or shoulders formed in slots I3 (see Fig. 2).

' Slidable in theguide I 4 above'rthesblocli' I2v is another-block or. operatingmemberr 2 I .Operat-. ing member 2 I i is continuously :urgedaupwardly from the block I2" by af'compressiont'spring 22 which is preferably 'substantially li hter' thanlthe spring I6. An operating'handleiflextends' from the member 2I through a=sloii fli in lithe-guide member 'l5, the upper end 26-of thesl'otdimitin upward movement of themember 2 I in response to the spring 22. The" operatingmember.zlsis connected to themember any a p'air'of links 21 having their'upperends pivoted-to the bloclnzl as at 28 and their lowerends pivotedas at 29'to upstruck' ears 30Qformed-ori the member" 9.

The open end I of the container ii is entirely unobstructed when the-member is initsrais'ed or normal position,- and particularly since "this member does not extend above the-top of the=container as shown in Figure Y 1, thus the desired waste material can bereadily' pl-aced irithe container. When it is desired-to eomprssthe material in the container, or=urge"it"-'downwardly awai from the openings, =the' handle"2 3- and the' block ZI are moved'downwardly ag'ainstthe force of the spring 22, such movement by' means-of links 21, causing the member 9 to swingoirtwardly and downwardly as indicated in Figure 4.""I'his move- .ment serves to confine and pres s'hthe material pivot, means resiliently supporting said mounting means for translatory movement to cause translatory movement of the member within the container, and means whereby actuation of the member operating means causes translatory movement of said mounting means.

2. In a trash receiver, means forming an open container, 9, pressure member, mean pivotally mounting saidmember formovement, to a position'where it extends across: the container, operating means for moving said member about its ,pivot to said position, means resiliently opposing said movement of the member, means supporting :said: mounting..means for translatory movement tea-cause translatory movement of the member in the container, said operating means serving to move said mounting means after movement of the member, to said: position.

3., In a trash receiver, means forming an open container, a pressure member, means pivotally mounting said member-for.- movement/1102a; :position where itv extends across. the containenpperating means; for. movingrsaid vmember'- about its pivot, means resiliently opposingqsaid' movement of the member, means forming a resilient support for said mounting means, whereby said mountingmeans is movable tocause translatory movement of themember with respectto the container, and meanswhereby actuation. of .=the:member-0P- erating means causes-movement i said; support.

4. In a trash receiver, meansiormingamopen container,- ay-pressure: memben: means =pivota1ly mounting said -member for movement to:'a..:position where it extends across the container; operating means- -for moving said number: about its pivot, means interposed-between said-mounting means and: said pperating means resiliently: opposing. suchmovement of thermem'berand: means resiliently l supporting :said ;';mounting.:.;means' whereby saidmountingimeansisimovable.topause translatorymovement of the-member with respect to the container in response. tdactuati-orrpf. said operatingim'eans.

5. .In. a .trash receiver, an open r container,.:.z a pressure zmember .for the.containergazmember slidably .mountedon- -said'-container -f.or::-.movement toward and: away from the open endeof .the container and pivotally supportingxthef-pressure memberfor movement. to: .a 1 positions vwhereeit extends across the: container, a pressure zrmember operating member slidableon :said containeri and positioned 1 above" the first mentioned '6 member, spring means interposed between saidimembers for resiliently maintaining thei pressure-:member ina position suchthat the openingof'the' container is unobstructed thereby, and-spring means supporting said =first :mentioned member, actuation ofsaid operating member serving to position the pressure. member toextendacross -;the. container, as well as to cause downward movement of said first mentioned member and the pressure member with respect to-the container.

6.In a trash'receiver,1means forminganopen containen. avpressure. member,; means pivotally mounting; said member-forrmoyement to. a.:p.ositionwherein itextends. acrossthercontainer; operating means movable" 'rectilinearlyrforimoyin' said. member: about its pivot, means, resiliently supporting. said mounting :means; .for movement.

to cause translatory. movementreofathermember within the container; and meanswherebyL actua tion :of .the 1 member :operating .1 means .zcauses movement .ofrsaid mounting means.

'7. In a trash receiver, means formin anopen container, a; pressure :member, .meanspivotal!!! mounting said member for movement to a position where it extends across the container, re silient means normally maintaining said member in a retracted position within said container, operating means for moving said member about its pivot, means supporting said mounting means for movement to cause translatory movement of the member in the container, and means whereby actuation of the operating means causes translatory movement of said mounting means.

8. In a trash receiver, means forming a container having an open end, a pressure member, means mounting said member for pivota1 movement from a retracted position adjacent a wall of the container to a position where it extends across the container, said member being pivotally connected to said mounting means adjacent an end of said member, said end being remote from the open end or the container when the member is in retracted position, operating means for moving said member about its pivot, means supporting said mounting means for movement to cause translatory movement of the member in the container, and means whereby actuation of the operating means causes movement of said mounting means.

9. In a trash receiver, means forming an open container, a pressure member, means pivotally mounting said member for movement from a retracted position to a position where it extends across the container, operating means for moving said member about its pivot, said member and said operating means being mounted and guided for rectilinear movement in the same direction and being spaced apart in said direction, whereby continued actuation of said operating means, following pivotal movement of said member to extended position, causes said operating means to engage the mounting means and impart rectilinear movement to said mounting means and the member.

10. In a trash receiver, means forming a container, having an open end, a pressure member in said container, means mounting said member for pivotal swinging movement downwardly from a retracted position adjacent a wall of the container to a position where it extends across the container, said member being pivotally connected to said mounting means adjacent an end of said member, said end being remote from the open end of the container when the member is in retracted position, operating means for moving said member about its pivot, and resilient means normaily maintaining said member in retracted position within said container.

CLYDE MALLORY. 

